Seeking the return of the Silmarils and vengeance against Melkor, renamed Morgoth, the Noldor
Elves left the Undying Lands, to settle in the Beleriand region of Middle-earth so they
might fight the War of the Great Jewels against the Dark Lord in his fortress of Angband found
beneath Thangorodrim, three volcanic mountains with the tallest peaks in middle-earth.
Originally landing on the shores of Lammoth, the Noldor Elves settled in and established
the realms of Hithlum, including the regions of Mithrim and Dor-Lomen, Nevrast including
Vinyamar, Gondolin, Nargothrond, Ard-galen, Dorthonion with Ladros, the pass of Aglon,
the March of Maedhros, Maglor’s gap, Himlad, Himring, the Fortress of Mount Rerir, Thargelion,
as well as the wilds of West and East Beleriand.
Yet the Noldor were not the only Elves living in the area, as many descendants of the Teleri
faction, who did not complete the journey to Valinor, settled this region long ago,
including the Sindar Elves of Menegroth in Doriath along with Nan Elmoth, the Havens
of the Falas including Eglarest and Brithombar, and Mithrim, while the Laiquendi, or Green
Elves, who originally settled east of the Misty Mountains, eventually made their home
in Ossiriand.
During times of hardship in the later years of the First Age, the Isle of Balar in the
bay of Balar and Mouths of Sirion including Arvenien became a refuge for all Elves.
Aside from the Eldar, Dwarves and Humans also populated this region, with the Dwarves of
the Firebeard and Broadbeam clans settling Nogrod and Belegost in the Blue Mountains,
where they were on friendly terms with some of the Noldor and Sindar Elves, at times even
fighting by their side against Morgoth.
Many humans of Beleriand also allied with the Elves, as the Edain Houses of Men migrated
into the region after escaping the growing influence of Morgoth in the east near their
original homeland of Hildorien.
With permission from the Elves, the House of Beor stayed in Estolad until settling Ladros,
the House of Haleth lived in Thargelion before making their home in the forest of Brethil.
And the House of Hador remained in Estolad before moving to Dor-lomin.
Nearing the end of the Age, yet another wave of human migrants came into Beleriand, with
the Swarthy Easterlings from the Houses of Ulfang and Bor settling just west of the Blue
Mountains.
Swearing their Allegiance to the Noldor Elves, only the House of Bor remained faithful, while
the House of Ulfang joined Morgoth and betrayed the Elves.
Other notable locations in Beleriand included the rivers Gelion, Sirion, and Narog, as well
as the towers Barad Nimras and Minas Tirith, both built by Finrod, Barad Eithel the seat
of Noldor High Kings and Taur-im-Duinath, a dark forest to the south where Avari from
the East sometimes wandered.
Then there was Amon Rudh, home to dwarven exiles called Petty Dwarves and Amon Ereb,
where some of the Noldor took refuge for a time.
After years of struggle and strife, Morgoth eventually conquered nearly all of Beleriand,
with Ard-galen becoming Anfauglith, Dorthonion turned into Taur-nu-fuin, and Minas Tirith
made Tol-in-Gaurhoth.
Desperate for help, the half elven heroes Earendil and Elwing sailed west and begged
the Valar for assistance, convincing them to join their allies in Beleriand to fight
the War of Wrath, where they defeated the Dark Lord, executed his body and banished
his spirit from the world.
Yet this victory once again came at a heavy cost, with the lands and seas of Arda changing
form.
Greatly disturbed by all the devastation they wrought, the Valar agreed to never again directly
interfere with the peoples of Middle-earth.
Thus began the Second Age, with the host of the Valar returning to the continent of Aman,
now entirely detached from the east as Helcaraxe fell beneath the waves.
In order to reward the Edain humans who fought with the Valar against Morgoth, they were
granted enhanced abilities, longer lives and given the island of Elenna, raised in the
ocean Belegaer, where they founded the Kingdom of Numenor.
With Beleriand and other regions falling into the sea, the peoples of middle-earth recovered
as best they could, while Dark Land further south remained largely the same, as did the
Eastland, now called the Land of the Sun featuring the Wall of the Sun mountain range.
Taking a closer look at Middle-earth, four of the seven dwarf clans continued to live
in the Red Mountains, while the Longbeards thrived in the Misty Mountains, taking in
refugees from the Firebeards and Broadbeams, escaping the ruins of Nogord and Belegost
in the Blue Mountains.
Yet some Dwarves remained and reformed their clans, joined by others who would eventually
return, but they never again reached the heights of years past.
As for the Elves, those who survived the fall of Beleriand largely left behind their factionalism
and lived together in the Kingdom of Lindon, west of the Blue Mountains, under High King
Gil-galad, a descendant of Finwe.
Lindon included the harbors of Forlond, Harlond and the Grey Havens, ruled by Lord Cirdan
who built ships capable of transporting Elves west to the Undying Lands.
Yet while many left Middle-earth, some did not, with the more adventurous among them
leaving Lindon to journey east where Celebrimbor, the grandson of Feanor, founded Eregion as
a city of smiths, located near Khazad Dum in the Misty Mountains, home to the great
craftsmen and miners of the Longbeard clan, so they might trade materials and learn from
each other.
After the fall of Eregion in a war against the Second Dark Lord Sauron, Lord Elrond,
the son of Earendil founded Rivendell in the north as a refuge for those fleeing the conflict.
Other adventurous Elves like the Sindar noble Oropher met the more primitive Silvan Elves
of the Greenwood forest, descendants of the Teleri, who like the Green Elves, abandoned
the great journey to settle east of the misty mountains.
Ruling from Amon Lanc, Oropher became king of the Woodland Realm, while another the Sindar
noble Amdir met Silvan elves in a forest further south, becoming King of Lorien.
Eastt of the Eldar, the Avari continued to populate the lands in and near Cuivienen,
though over time some migrated further west and even mixed with the Silvan Elves.
As for the race of men, they spread far throughout Middle-earth, with the Lossoth populating
Forodwaith and Forochel in the frozen north, while the middle-men, kin to the Dunedain
of Numenor, populated Eriador and near the greenwood.
The ancestors of the Dunlendings also lived in this region, in and around the lands of
Dunland and Bree-land, in addition to establishing a Realm in the white mountains.
Further east near and beyond the sea of Rhun, lived various sallow and olive skinned peoples
known collectively as the Easterlings, while in the south the dark skinned Haradrim tribes
developed into expert horsemen and beast masters, eventually training great elephants for war.
Yet greatest of all the civilizations of men, was the Kingdom of Numenor, where it’s people
the Dunedain developed into expert sailors and warriors, exploring and colonizing many
lands to become the greatest, wealthiest realm east of Valinor.
Ruled by a king descended from Earendil in the capital of Armenelos, the island of Numenor
was divided the provinces Forostar, Orrostar, Hyarrostar, Hyarnustar, and Andustar, where
the port city of Andunie became a stronghold for the Faithful, even when the rest of the
island stopped worshipping Eru.
The last province, Mittlamar in the center of the island was home to the Mountain Meneltarma,
where religious rituals occurred and the Great Eagles made their home upon its peak.
East of the mountain was Arandor, the Kingsland, home to the capital city and main port city
Romenna.
Other notable location in Numenor included the rivers Siril and Nunduine, Eldalonde and
Nisimaldar where they grew special Mallorn trees, the fishing village of Nindamos, the
pastoral lands of Emerie, the tower of Sorontil, the mining city Ondosto, and the small island
Tol Uinen, said to have been placed by the Maia Uinen, Lady of the Seas.
Among the many colonies they founded, which may have included settlements in the Dark
Land and Land of the Sun, the most well known were Vinyalonde, Pelargir which became a haven
for the Faithful and Umbar which oppositely became a haven for the King’s Men who lost
their faith.
Challenging the supremacy of Numenor, was the second dark lord Sauron, a powerful Maia
that once served as chief lieutenant to Morgoth, and continued that legacy by seeking the conquest
of middle-earth.
Making his home in the lands of Mordor within the Mountains of Shadow, he sought access
to volcanic Orodruin or Mount Doom raised by Morgoth in the first age, as he needed
it’s fires to forge the One ring of power.
Sauron then raised the tower of Barad-dur, and used human slaves to farm the lands of
Nurn near the sea of Nurnen, in order to supply the armies of orcs, trolls and other wicked
creatures he raised in the Plateau of Gorgoroth.
Sauron also won the allegiance of many Easterling and Haradrim tribes, which could be summoned
to Mordor.
After destroying Eregion in the War of the Elves and Sauron, the Dark Lord gradually
gained more power and conquered much of Northwestern middle-earth, until the Dunedain under Ar-Pharazon
sailed east to defeat and take him captive to Numenor.
Yet Sauron used this to his advantage by corrupting their people and becoming chief advisor to
the king, so he could convince them to launch an attack against the Valar of Valinor.
Sailing past the Shadowy sea border and enchanted isles, they landed on Aman, thus violating
the Ban of the Valar, which forbid mortals from entering these lands.
Since the Valar could not knowingly harm the children of Eru, Manwe asked the creator for
assistance, causing him to intervene with a vengeance, destroying the Numenorean fleet,
sinking their island, trapping their warriors beneath the ground and reshaping the entire
world, making it round and bringing forth new lands and seas, while detaching Aman entirely
so that it hovered outside the world, accessible only to Elves through a hidden Straight road.